Stars
by Satsuki312
Summary: I want to join them up there. I want to be a star.


Stars

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

I'm living in Tokyo right now and I was standing on my balcony looking up, and noticed that the sky was empty. I remember being a child, going to Hawaii and tracing the constellations with my father and trying to count all of the stars. It just seemed to fit.

* * *

The melody of the wind played throughout the cool night as it rushed through the sleeping village below. At first glance, one might think that the village was frozen in time, that not a soul was awake, but there was. There always is. Perched upon the Yondaime's immortal bust Naruto gazed up at the sky.

A village as large as Konohagakure is never without light. The light blinds and steals the stars away from the night sky. It leaves the sky so empty that you cannot even find the North Star to guide you home.

The midnight breeze picks up once more and ruffles the blond locks of hair. He wants to see the stars.

A shadow shifts just behind the blond.

"What are you doing here, Sasuke?" He does not even have to turn and look at the approaching figure to know who it is.

"I could ask you the same thing." He sits beside his teammate and follows his gaze upwards to the empty, discoloured sky.

"Stargazing."

"There are no stars to be gazing at."

Naruto tears his gaze away form the sky. He looks into Sasuke's onyx eyes. They are the kind of eyes that were made to reflect they stars and the moon, eyes darker than the night sky without any lights.

"They are there. They always are."

Naruto returns his gaze skyward.

"You know, when we went to the Land of Waves, I was really happy. That was my first time to see the stars. I can't leave the village like you. I'm trapped. Caged. The entire time we were there, I looked up at the stars and counted them. There are so many up there. They look so close, so. . . not alone. But when we got back, and I began reading about them, I found out. They are lonelier than me. Even the ones connected by invisible lines in constellations."

Naruto stands up and walks out to the tip of a particularly long spike on the monument. His back faces Sasuke. A sun kissed hand reaches out towards the empty sky. In that singular moment the lively blond with a personality bigger than life itself seems pathetically small.

"Ne, Sasuke, earlier, you said the sky is empty. I think you were right. It's empty, but not void. Void means nothing belongs there, that the bareness is natural, but something belongs there. It's empty because the stars are supposed to be there guiding us. I miss them."

Naruto lowers his hand and turns around.

"I mean, you can't even see the shooting ones. How am I supposed to wish if I can't even see my coin in the sky?"

Sasuke raises an eyebrow at this. What could the blond possibly want so bad that he'd wish upon a tiny little star?

"Ne, Sasuke. Do you think shooting stars are running towards other stars so they won't be so lonely? Or do you think that they are running away from the solitude?"

Naruto's eyes convey a message of pain and acceptance. Acceptance of what? He turns around to face the sky over the village once more that look still gleaming in his eyes.

"Personally, I think that they are falling because their tiny little hearts just can't take the loneliness anymore."

The wind begins to howl. It gives off an empty, desolate sound, not unlike the sound of a soul finally breaking after years of pain. As if pushed by the wind, Naruto leans forwards. Time seems to slow for the raven just feet away. Sasuke knows he won't make it in time, but he has to try. He can't lose Naruto. He can't lose his anchor.

Naruto is over the edge. Sasuke can't see him, but continues to run.

There, dangling by one hand Naruto is barely hanging on. Those azure pools calmly glimmering in the surrounding darkness. Sasuke grabs him and begins to pull. His heart is beating so loudly he almost misses it.

". . . star. I want to be a star."

Tears begin to form at the edges of Naruto's eyes. His voice raises and sounds pleading.

"I don't want to fall! I want to shoot off and land among the stars. I want to join them up there. I want people to look up at me and smile. I want to twinkle in the sky with the others, and reflect in people's eyes. I want to be a part of a constellation, be sought after night after night! Maybe I could even have a story told about me. I want to be seen – to be known! I want to be loved and romanticized like the stars. I want to shoot into the night sky, picking up wishes as I streak across the darkness, leaving a stream of light behind me. I want to go swimming in the Milky Way. I want to be a star!"

Sasuke hoists the broken blond back up onto the monument. For a moment both lay there in absolute silence, gazing up at where the stars belong. After their breaths even out Sasuke turns to look at Naruto.

"In your eyes. I saw in your eyes. You weren't afraid to jump. You weren't scared to let go. And that terrifies me. Why did you stay?"

Naruto shifts to face Sasuke.

"Because I'm a demon. If I jumped now, I'd just keep falling. I'd hit the ground and keep on going. I'd keep falling, farther and farther away from my stars. Besides, I already have my very own star right here beside me."

A smile creeps into Sasuke's lips and is quickly reflected onto Naruto's.

"Come on, Dobe. Let's go home."

* * *

This is my first SasuNaru story. Well, actually, this is the first story like this that I've ever written, so please don't flame.


End file.
